


Karaoke Night

by aerosmiley219



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, F/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23617741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerosmiley219/pseuds/aerosmiley219
Summary: Danny drinks too much and lets emotion come spilling out.
Relationships: Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Karaoke Night

Tuesdays were “Karaoke Night” at JP’s, in the district. It was a small, old, beat up bar that was frequented by regulars mostly, but the beer was cold and relatively cheap, especially if one was willing to drink Natty Boh.

JP figured karaoke night would bring in fresh faces so he thought he’d try something new for once. His nephew, Blaine, a relatively new business partner had been pushing him for months to expand his repertoire to try “fancy cocktails,” like margaritas, as he liked to put it, but he compromised on karaoke night, one night every other week.

It seemed to draw in a few new faces and that was good enough for JP to start learning how to sling more than boilermakers. Still, he was hesitant.

Danny walked in one night after spending all week running down research a story on a Russian spy who was rumored to be in cahoots with a senator from Texas. Every lead he’d been given had turned out to be nothing and after working every day since Wednesday, even forgoing Mother’s Day, this Tuesday night he was ready to check out for a few hours.

He bellied up to the bar and sighed before looking up to the older man who’d clearly seen better days. “Boilermaker?” He asked before looking back down to his notebook.

JP nodded and poured him a shot of whisky and a pint of pale ale before setting them in front of the redheaded reporter.

The one boiler maker quickly turned into 4.

"Come on buddy, let me get you something to eat? Cheese fries? On the house?"

Danny tapped the top of his glass and slurred, "only if I get another one of these."

JP nodded. "You got a ride home, pal?"

"Sure," he replied as he spun around to watch two teenage girls sing “Like a Virgin” with a straight face, which only turned into a bout of drunken giggles.

He laughed along with them and shook his head. “I wanna do this, too,” he muttered to himself as he rose to the front of the room. “Got a catalog or something?” He shouted to the DJ.

The DJ pointed to the table next to him and went back to the group of girls flirting with him who, may or may not, have been of age.

Danny walked over to the table and randomly opened the book at the “Love Songs” section. “Pfft,” he scoffed, “figures.” He took a swig of his beer and set it down before grabbing a handful of pages in an attempt to skip that fateful section. Sure enough, he’d made it to the “Heartbreak” section.

“Oh for the love of… You’re kidding, right?” He said to no one in particular. Danny drained his drink and turned to the bartender and shook his glass. 

JP looked up and nodded to him.

Danny stood and walked over to the DJ. “Put me on the list?” The younger of the two looked up at him and handed him a signup sheet. He took it from the DJ and wrote down his name and selection, “Danny- H-37.”

He set down the pen and paper and went back to the bar to wait his turn.

Fifteen minutes, a handful of loaded cheesy fries, and half a pint had elapsed before he heard his name.

“Now to take it down for a minute, here’s Danny with I Can’t Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt. Danny, you ready?”

He turned back from the bar and went up to take the microphone. The song began and Danny closed his eyes, knowing it all too well by heart… “Turn down the lights, turn down the bed…”

Danny crooned along with the lyrics as the song played along, barely making it to the chorus of “I can’t make you love me, if you don’t. You can’t make your heart feel something it won’t…” before he broke down in tears.

Three sorority girls who’d just finished a rendition of “Hit Me Baby One More Time” took pity on him, one walking over to the DJ, requesting something more upbeat while the other two escorted him off the stage and handed him a napkin, walking him back to the bar.

“CJ,” he mumbled.

“Who is CJ,” Tiffani asked. “Is she who you were singing about?”

Danny blinked and briefly sobered, “oh god, what have I done?” He mumbled. “No one needs to know.”

“I’ve been there, too,” Brittany piped up. “My ex left me for some other skank and it totally ripped my heart out. You’ll find better, though. I promise.”

“Yeah,” the other 20 something spoke up, “she’s probably nothing special. Totally doesn’t deserve you. Like if she only knew what she was doing to you. I don’t even know the bitch and I’m already getting mad!”

Brittany nodded in solidarity.

“No!” Danny shouted. “She’s wonderful! You don’t know her! It’s just our jobs. We can’t. But I love her. And she knows…”

He looked up at the now silent girls. “Sorry. Thanks for rescuing me.” 

Danny turned over to JP, “Their next round is on me?”

JP nodded and the girls placed their orders.

“Hang in there, kay?” One said to him before placing a kiss on his crown. “She’ll come around.”

“Yeah,” Tiffani replied, “and if she doesn’t, here’s my number.” She slid him a cocktail napkin with her name with what very well could have been her actual telephone number written on it, complete with a heart over the “i” in her name.

He smiled and picked up the paper as the two girls walked away with their drinks. Danny folded the paper into a neat square as he tucked it into his shirt pocket.

“I should probably go. I’ve made a big enough ass of myself in public for one night.” He started fumbling for his cell phone. Danny opened it and scrolled through his contacts before pressing “Send” on one name and handing it to JP. “Thanks.”

The phone rang twice before the person on the other end picked up.

“Hey Danny. It’s late. Everything okay?” He answered. Even though it was late, Josh was still up reading through some briefs for tomorrow’s Senior Staff meeting.

“Yeah, hi Josh. It’s JP, from JP’s on 7th street?”

“Yeah. Hi?” He replied, clearly confused by the voice on the other end.

“Yeah, your friend Danny told me you’d come get him tonight? He’s had a few too many and shouldn’t drive home.”

“Oh. Is he okay?”

“Yeah, I think so. He’s had it rough. Some chick’s broken his heart pretty bad actually. Stood up in front of the bar and sang his heart out for a minute before breaking down in tears. Some girls walked him off the stage.” He sighed once before continuing, “it’s pretty sad.”

He sighed. “Yeah. Okay. Give me 45 minutes and I’ll be there. Give him some cheese fries or something greasy. I’ll pick up his tab when I get there.

“Already ahead of you.” He hung up the phone and handed it back to Danny, whose head, by now, was almost resting on the cool bar.

“Your friend is coming to pick you up.”

“’Kay.” He looked up, “one more?”

“I shouldn’t. But I’ve been there. Promise me you won’t get sick in my bar?”

“Vomit free since ’93,” Danny said with a salute.

“I’ll hold you to it,” he replied as he poured the next pint. 

JP slid it to his patron and put a shot glass next to his pint before grabbing a bottle of Jameson’s and tipping the bottle, pretending to pour another shot.

Danny took ahold of the empty shot glass, threw it back and quickly chased it with a few healthy gulps of Yuengling. He looked at the shot glass and set it back down, not thinking about it too much. “They get easier each time,” he mused to himself.

He took out his wallet and grabbed the first credit card he could find and pushed it towards JP.

The proprietor took the card and charged him appropriately before handing the receipt to him. “Here you go.”

Danny sat and stared at the paper trying to do the math in his head then scribbled some number and a semblance of his signature before pushing it back towards the bartender.

Josh threw on some jeans and grabbed his keys and cell phone before heading out the door. As soon as he got on the road, he made a phone call. 

“Hey, it’s me. Yeah, everything’s fine. You just need to meet me at Danny’s. Because I said so. Okay? Trust me, he needs to talk. I’ll fill you in when I get there. I think there’s a key under the mat; let yourself in. Yeah. Bye.”

He hung up and continued to the bar, not far from his place.

A few minutes passed before Josh walked up to the bar, “hey, I’m looking for, oh! Danny!” He walked over to the redhead, placing on hand on his shoulder while giving it a gentle squeeze, “you okay man?”

“Josh!” Danny said before smiling for the first time that evening. 

“Hey Danny. You ready to go?” Josh looked up behind the bar and saw a man standing close by. “Did you call?”

JP nodded.

“Thanks. It’s appreciated. What does he owe?”

“He already took care of it,” he said pointing to the paper on the bar.

“Wow, he’s a good tipper,” Josh mused. “Thanks again,” he said waving to the older man before helping his friend up and out of the bar.

“Yeah. Thanks, man,” Danny replied with another salute.

JP nodded and watched the two walk out.

They talked on the ride home. Well, Danny talked on the ride home. Josh listened.

The streets were mostly deserted, slick with a light rain that had fallen earlier in the evening, and the ride home only took a few minutes.

Josh took Danny’s keys from him and ushered him into his apartment. “Here, Dan. You’re home.”

Danny nodded and stepped forward. He looked up and saw a tall brunette perched on the edge of his couch, chewing on her cuticles, who stood as soon as he crossed the threshold.

“CJ?” He asked, thoroughly surprised.

“Hi Danny. I hope you don’t mind me coming here. Josh told me we should probably talk?”

Josh set down the keys on the table next to the door. “Thanks for coming. I figured you could do more for him than I could tonight. Help me get him to bed?”

She nodded. “Sure.”

“Look,” Danny started. “I don’t need to be taken care of. Okay? I just had a rough day and it just spiraled out of control.”

He stumbled as he tried to kick off his shoes, catching himself on his dining room table. CJ and Josh lunged forward to catch him, just in case.

Danny looked at the floor. “Unfortunate.” 

He sighed, resigning himself to his fate, “fine.” He looked up and pointed at CJ, "Not you.”

She stopped and looked up at Josh, “okay?”

“That’s fine. Come on Dan, let’s get you to bed.” Josh took ahold of his shoulder and walked him to his bedroom. CJ took a seat back down on the chair and went back to chewing her cuticles.

Several minutes later, Josh walked back into the living room. “He’s in bed.”

“So you said you’d fill me in? What happened?”

“Apparently he got a series of bad leads and things just weren’t going right and he stopped at a bar for a drink or five and it was karaoke night.”

“Oh,” CJ replied, listening intently.

“Yeah, and he picked that ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ song from the early 90’s and broke down in tears when he got to the chorus. Couldn’t stop himself. It all came pouring out.”

CJ nodded silently.

“A couple of girls came up and walked him off the stage and tried to make him feel better. That’s pretty much when the owner called me to pick him up. Nice guy.”

“Thanks for getting him, Josh. I’ll go see if he wants to talk. You should go.”

Josh nodded and grabbed his keys. “He was in a bad spot, Ceej. Go easy on him?”

“Of course I will, Josh.” CJ walked to him and gave him a hug. “Thanks.”

CJ walked to his bedroom and stopped at the door.

“Danny?” CJ started. “Josh told me what you guys talked about. About what happened tonight. I don’t know what to say.”

She took a step towards the bed, staring at the form sprawled out on the bed.

“Danny?”

He grunted, his face buried in his pillow.

“I…” she started but quickly stopped herself before taking off her coat, tossing them on the chair next to his bed.

She moved forward and sat on the bed next to him. “I know you want more. But we can’t. You and I both know that. And, truth be told, I want more from you, too.” She placed a hand on his lower back. “You understand, right? We just can’t. Not right now.”

Danny sighed. “I know.”

CJ gave a half but knowing smile and went to stand.

“No,” Danny replied, reaching out for her hand. “Don’t go.” She nodded and took off her shoes then looked around the room. 

Her eyes moved from his open door to his dresser, noticing a framed picture of who she could only assume were brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews. She smiled as she continued to look around the room. His sock drawer was half open, boxers hanging from the side. CJ looked over at Danny and placed her hand back on his lower back. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Danny, still holding on to her hand, rolled over to his side and took her with him. She giggled as she fell into him. CJ decided to make herself comfortable because, clearly, he wasn’t going to be letting go anytime soon. 

CJ wrapped her arms around him, molding her body to his, burying her face in his neck. He intertwined his fingers with hers as he pulled their hands to his chest. She sighed and realized just how comfortable she felt with him, here in his bedroom. “Make love with me Daniel,” she whispered in his ear. “Please?”

“Hmm?” He asked rolling over on to his back, opening his eyes to look at the woman of his dreams lying next to him.

“Make love with me?” Her eyes searched his face for an answer. “Please? I don’t know how else to say I’m sorry.”

His brow furrowed. “Jesus CJ,” Danny barked, sitting upright. “I don’t want a pity fuck, okay?” 

“Oh,” she started. “That’s not what this is. It’s something I want, too. I care about you.” She wiped a tear from her eye, “We can’t be together right now but that doesn’t mean it can’t be ever.”

Danny was silent, processing her words.

“Okay,” she sighed before rolling over to her side to climb out of his bed.

She did and walked towards the door, hesitating before crossing the threshold. CJ turned around and looked back at him, “you’re not going to stop me? In every romantic movie this would be your cue to stand up and say ‘wait, don’t go.’” She tried to joke off the tears.

“Of course I don’t want you to go, CJ,” he paused, “can we just talk?”

“Yeah,” CJ smiled walking back towards the bed and sitting next to him. “I forgot my shoes anyway.”

She sat in silence a few moments longer, “can I lay next to you?”

“Yeah,” he said, lying back down on the bed, on his back.

CJ laid herself next to him, barely touching his hand with hers.

Danny chuckled, “you can come closer. It doesn’t have to be weird. Even though… even though I probably made it weird already.”

She scooted closer to him, her leg wrapping between his, resting her hand and head on his chest. “This is better.”

He took a hold of her hand and sighed. “It is.”

“Are…” Danny started, quietly, “are we okay?” He sighed.

“Of course. I’m sorry you had to go through this, though. I guess we’re all entitled to lose ourselves every once in a while.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

They were quiet for a few moments, before Danny broke the silence. “Spend the night?”

“I don’t know, Danny.”

He sighed. “I mean, just lay here? Til I fall asleep, at least?”

She thought about it then replied, “Okay.”

The couple fell asleep in each other’s arms, CJ waking around 4. She wrote him a note and placed it under a glass of water with two aspirin on his dresser before placing a small kiss on his forehead then leaving him to get ready for work that day.

CJ stopped at his bedroom door to look at him once more. “Soon, Danny. I promise,” she whispered as she looked at his face. “I promise.”


End file.
